The present invention relates to an air purifying apparatus that destroys microorganisms and removes odors and other impurities from the air.
Today, a large number of pollutants can be found in the air and water. Among the various harmful air pollutants that exist in the air that people breath are pollen, lung damaging dust, smoke and bacteria. Other pollutants include various organic vapors and toxic gases. The environment is often contaminated with a variety of noxious and toxic gases including carbon monoxide, methane, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and a broad variety of organic vapors. Some of these are widely prevalent in the environment, particularly in urban areas, and others tend to be pronounced in homes, offices, or other confined spaces due to activities within those spaces. Noxious or toxic materials may be produced from tobacco smoking, cooking, open fireplaces, faulty appliances, or a variety of other normal activities. Some of these are merely unpleasant because of odors while others such as carbon monoxide may be dangerous. Because these pollutants are so prevalent in the air and are found in most locations, contact with them is inevitable. Typically, pollutants cause general discomfort to many people, and can be particularly troublesome to individuals that suffer from emphysema, asthma, and hay fever and like allergies. It has also been found, for example, that a high proportion of homes have unsuspected carbon monoxide concentrations which contribute to vague disorders such as lassitude and headaches at concentrations far below levels that produce overt symptoms of toxicity. Hence, apparatus and methods for removing air pollutants from the air and/or sensing the presence of pollutants have wide spread economic and therapeutic appeal.
Air purifiers are generally known and exist. A typical air purifier includes a housing having a chamber mounting an ultra-violet (UV) lamp. Air is drawn into the bottom of the housing and passes through the chamber where it is exposed to UV radiation emitted from the lamp, which denatures organic proteinous particles, e.g., exterminates microorganisms, that are carried in the air. The air is then discharged from the housing top to the external environment. One prior art air purifier is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,429 of Golstein. The Golstein air purifier employs a UV lamp, which is mounted in a germicidal chamber to exterminate microorganisms that are carried in the incoming flow of air. A charcoal filter is seated above the germicidal chamber and removes odors from the UV radiation exposed air.
Another prior art air purifier is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,195 of Larsson. Larsson also describes an apparatus for destroying microorganisms by irradiation with UV light emitted by a UV lamp supported in an irradiation chamber. The irradiation chamber is segregated into a set of minor chambers by a number of partition walls. The partition walls have formed therein air-flow openings that are oppositely located relative to the openings formed in the adjacent partitions. This alternating arrangement of air-flow openings maximizes the amount of time the air remains in the irradiation chamber in order to maximize the amount of microorganisms destroyed.
There still exists a need in the art for improved air purifiers that can exterminate microorganisms in the air, as well as reduce or eliminate odors. In particular, an air purifier that exhibits improved abilities to exterminate microorganisms while reducing odor emissions would represent a major improvement in the art. Additionally, an air purifier that is relatively compact, relatively easy to manufacture and relatively inexpensive would also present a major improvement in the art.